Excel pedal steel guitars pros and cons

[Jimmy Gibson]

I have recently obtained one of the earlier Excel keyed D10 ,and thought i would just ask what experience other Exel players have of them ,and the pros and cons of the brand .Cheers.


Jimmy G

[Mark Hariman]

Pros:
- Sounds great and I know that's subjective. I did however change out the single coil pickup to a Telonics X12 as I was having hum issues through my rig.
- Lightweight guitar. Everything packs into a single suitcase style hardcase on wheels, which makes it easy to transport
- Holds tuning very well
- Buttery smooth pedals and levers.
- Easy to work on - take it from me, I’m a real novice when it comes to working on my own steel and I think the Excel is pretty straightforward
- Super flexible copedent - it really feels limitless with whatever changes you want to throw at it
- Build time wise, it's a pretty quick turnaround. Ordered mine in January 2024, received by early April 2024.

Cons:
- Parts are in metric sizing so you probably can’t find replacement parts Stateside, you’d have to order from Japan.
- Communication with Mitsuo is just ok, not terrible nor exceptional. So ordering anything from him is probably going to take a while. The good thing is that Toshiyuki of Shoji Steel Guitars (who’s pretty regular on SGF) still services Excel guitars and can make pretty much any part for you, his communication is flawless and shipping is fast.
- Modern looking steel guitars. Aluminium frame and wood neck with mica covering throughout. Not everyone's cup of tea, doesn't bother me one bit

[Lee Baucum]

Many, many years ago a former friend purchased an Excel U12.
It had the gear shift locking mechanism.

The only thing I didn’t care for was the string spacing. The strings seemed to be a bit too close together, Overall, it was a great guitar.

[Greg Cutshaw]

I agree with Mark above. I have owned 3 different Excel models. The tone and buttery smooth mechanism, advanced changer and small footprint are ideal for me. Overall they play as well or better than my MSA Legend and my recent model Sierra. Super light cases greatly reduce the total weight. Parts are a cinch for any average machinist to make.

Detailed reviews and sound files:

https://www.gregcutshaw.com/Excel%20D13 ... yless.html

https://www.gregcutshaw.com/Excel%20Rob ... ostar.html

https://www.gregcutshaw.com/Excel%2012% ... yless.html

[Chris Templeton]

Mitsuo San made my Excel that started as 12 string neck and a 6 string lap steel neck.
Duane Marrs made it into an 8 string neck.
Mike Neer has the guitar now.
I understand with his latest model, Mitsuo made some cool improvements on PSG changer tech
Mitsuo was at most of Scotty's conventions and was an excellent host when I was at his shop.
He had a little performance stage off the shop.
His longtime assistant, Wataru, could speak better English than Mitsuo and was a lot of fun.

12521_Mitsuo_Fujii_1.jpg

[J D Sauser]

Metric is NOT a problem. One can even get the hex cross shafts at MacMaster in various materials (steel, brass and aluminum). 2mm "easy to machine" stainless pull rods and dies are also available. Metric screws too.
The rest is all custom machined, most shops now handle both systems in the US too.

I think they are great sounding instruments and their advantages have already been listed above.

The only objection I could imagine some may have:
- made outside of the US. (well, at least it's not "China")
- keyless guitars are not appealing in looks to everybody... and the Excel is especially "machine" looking.

I like their thumb screw keyless tuner best and their changer with the pointed fingers with a v groove behind the "fulcrum" best too. I don't see the need for the "pre-tuning" pegs on the changer... we've learned to string up keyless guitars Decades ago.


... J-D,

[Dave Stagner]

I often describe mine as "built like a Swiss watch". The design and machining are outstanding. It's about as light as a pedal steel can get and still be playable without the knee levers moving the whole instrument around. Tone is fantastic. (I replaced the single coil pickup with a custom Steeltronics SW11 - it's an 11 string and pickups are rare, but Scott made me one to order!) Mechanism is smooth and easy to adjust or reconfigure.

I do not miss wood, not one little bit. All aluminum is awesome!

[Glenn Demichele]

I absolutely love my keyless D10. I actually just leave the Franklin set up at the house and gig with the Excel. I rarely need to retune it at the gig unless the temperature is not 70+/-5 degrees. (Ha, I don’t tune A 440, I tune A 72F)